Dan McFarland’s high praise for Johnny Sexton as Ulster prepare to host Leinster

Ireland out half Johnny Sexton is set to start for the four-time European champions and, barring a knock-out match at the end of the season, it will be the 37-year-old’s last-ever game in Belfast.

“He’s got to be one of the most influential players in world rugby over the last decade...he has to be,” said McFarland. “One of the top two most successful clubs over the last decade, he has been number 10, it’s the most important position on the field.

“He’s been a part, a stalwart, of an attack that’s been transformational, certainly in Irish rugby.

“When he was working with Joe Schmidt there was a very particular way of playing, a dominant way and he led that - now, working with Stuart (Lancaster) and working with Andy Farrell, they play a different style...he is instrumental in that.

“There are small nuances in the way that they play has changed, but he has been at the centre of that.

“And you can see how instrumental he is, because of how well it works when he is running it.

“Someone said to me the other day that right at the top level he has the capacity to spot space in the maelstrom that is international rugby that not many 10s have, it just does not happen very often.

“Space does not appear on the pitch at international level very often.

“He is able to spot it and exploit it in what is an extremely complicated sport.

“So, definitely, he has been one of the most influential players in world rugby over the last 10 years - I’m talking as if he is retiring, he has a chunk to go.”

Ulster and Leinster both go into the game with maximum points from their first two games and McFarland thinks this will be his side’s toughest game so far.

“It is one of the biggest games of the year, if not the biggest, in terms of interest, in the fact it is a home game for us,” said McFarland. “We are playing, patently, the best team over the last 10 years in our league, a team that play really good rugby.

“They will test us both sides of the ball, we have been tested a fair bit in different ways over the last two weeks but I think Leinster bring an all-round game that will test all aspects of our game.

“It’ll be a good barometer, I think, it’s just the game itself...I look forward to seeing how it will go.

“I think certainly when they attack, Leinster bring more line speed than Scarlets would, their collective prowess off the line there with guys like Will Connors, Josh van der Flier, all their back row...get off the line and make some quality tackles, that puts a lot of pressure on you.

“They don’t really make many mistakes in defence but it will be slightly different from the Scarlets game.

“In attack they are certainly very fluid, they play at a high tempo non-stop, Scarlets break you with brilliant players with offloads and big carries through the middle of the field, they are tremendous athletes.

“Leinster have all of that, but they also have a cohesiveness and understanding in their attack that very few teams have.

“You have to be on point all the time because if there is space on the field, they will find it.”

McFarland ruled backrow Sean Reffell out of the game while Springbok Duane Vermeulen will rejoin the squad next week after the conclusion of the Rugby Championship.